2/6/2024–|Last updated: 6/2/202408:51 PM (Mecca time)
The Maldives government decided, on Sunday, to ban Israelis from entering the country as popular anger escalated in the Muslim-majority country over the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, while the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommended its citizens not to travel there.
The Associated Press quoted the office of the President of the Maldives, Mohamed Moisu, as saying – in a statement – that the Council of Ministers decided to change the laws to prevent holders of Israeli passports from entering the country, and to establish a subcommittee to supervise the process.
The statement added that President Moiso will appoint a special envoy to assess Palestinian needs and launch a fundraising campaign entitled “Maldives stands in solidarity with Palestine.”
Nearly 11,000 Israelis visited the Maldives last year, representing 0.6% of the total number of tourist arrivals.
The Maldives had previously lifted a ban on Israeli tourists in the early 1990s and moved to restore relations in 2010, but attempts at normalization were thwarted after the ouster of President Mohamed Nasheed in February 2012.
Opposition parties and government allies in the Maldives are putting pressure on Moizu to ban the entry of Israelis, as a sign of protest against the Gaza war.
@sebjager The maldives interdisent with the israeliens #freepalestine ♬ News, news, seriousness, tension (1077866) – Lyrebirds music
On the other hand, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommended that Israeli citizens not travel to the Maldives after its government banned entry to those holding Israeli passports.
The ministry said that the recommendation includes Israelis with dual citizenship. She added – in a statement – “For Israeli citizens already in the country, it is recommended to consider leaving, because if they find themselves in distress for any reason, it will be difficult for us to provide assistance.”
The Israeli war on Gaza left more than 118,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and about 10,000 missing amid massive destruction and famine that claimed the lives of children and the elderly.
Israel continues this war, ignoring a Security Council resolution demanding that it stop the fighting immediately, and orders from the International Court of Justice demanding that it stop its attack on the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, and take immediate measures to prevent acts of genocide and improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.